Too much subsidised cooking gas (LPG) is being consumed by country's VVIPs, according to the transparency portal launched today by state-owned oil firms.
Vice President Hamid Ansari's official residence in New Delhi consumed 171 subsidised LPG cylinders in the year to May 31, while Minister of State for External Affairs Preneet Kaur used up 161 cylinders.
Uttarakhand Chief Minister Vijay Bahuguna used 83 refills of 14.2-kg cylinder at his Mathura Line residence in the national capital, BJP leader Rajnath Singh consumed 80 cylinders and former Union minister M. S. Gill 79.
The portal showed that industrialist Naveen Jindal's 6, Prithvi Raj Road residence in the national capital received 369 refills, or more than one cylinder a day, through two LPG connections - one in name of his father late O.P. Jindal and another in name of one Radha Devi Rawat.
Oil Minister S. Jaipal Reddy, who launched the portal so that people can track their bookings as well as see if someone was jumping the queue to get a replacement before him, got 26 refills or more than two per month.
As per norms, general public is not allowed to book a refill within 21 days of delivery of a cylinder.
"This (large number of refills) shows I am a popular leader," Reddy said in lighter vain. "I get so many visitors everyday... sometimes 200 to 300. Naturally, consumption will be high".
While the same argument may be true for most of the public figures, there might also be instances of dealers fraudulently showing bookings in certain names and actually diverting the subsidised bottles to commercial establishments.
Commercial users are supposed to buy the fuel at market rate which is Rs 396 higher than the price of the subsidised unit.
Besides providing a history of refills ordered and delivered to consumers in the country, the transparency LPG portal lists out high consumption consumers. A majority of the top 100 consumers of LPG in the national capital are politicians.
The Oil Ministry in a statement said reports suggesting misuse of subsidy, based on number of LPG cylinders supplied as per consumption data from LPG Transparency Portal were factually incorrect.
"As per the current rules and regulations there is no limit on the number of cylinders consumed by any individual," it said.
To rationalise consumption of subsidised LPG cylinders, the ministry has proposed to limit their use by supplying a fixed quota per household as well as making rich ineligible for receiving subsidised cylinders.
"While this proposal is under consideration, the launch of LPG Transparency Portal is another initiative that intends to bring about transparency in the entire LPG supply chain by providing access to LPG supply data to all the LPG consumers and civil society," the statement said.
"It is expected that proactive use of this portal will bring about efficiency in LPG supplies, thereby enabling the ministry to improve the supply of subsidised LPG to its citizens," it added.
BJP MP Maneka Gandhi got 63 refills in the year, the same number as Suresh Kalmadi of Congress. SP supremo Mulayam Singh Yadav consumed 58 refills at this residence in the national capital.
BSP chief Mayawati used 45 bottles, the same as Ram Vilas Paswan. JD-U's Sharad Yadav received 49 cylinders, Syed Sahanawaz Hussain (BJP) 56, Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot 45, Lalu Prasad Yadav (RJD) 43 and former telecom minister A Raja used up 42 cylinders.